Department of Education

National Capital Region

Schools Division of Parañaque City
Self-Learning Modules
Science 10 Quarter 1 Week 6
PROCESSES ALONG PLATE BOUNDARIES

Learning Competency

Explain the different processes that occur along the plate boundaries (S10ES – Ia-j-36.3)

Objective

At the end of the module, the learner should be able to:

➢ Explain the processes that occur along divergent and transform boundaries and
identify landforms associated with it; and
➢ Explain the different geologic processes along plate boundaries.

Let’s Understand (Study the Concept)

A divergent boundary is a boundary where the two plates are moving away from each
other. Divergent plate boundaries are home to landforms including continental rifts and
oceanic ridges.
Continental rifting occurs within a continent and is caused by opposing tensional
forces that stretch and thin the lithosphere, causing the outermost crustal rocks to break
through normal faulting, thus forming what is known as a continental rift. Horizontal stretching
is accompanied by an initial uplift as the low-density hot asthenosphere, now experiencing
less overlying pressure from the thinned lithosphere, rises. As these tectonic tensional forces
continue to pull the plates apart, broken crustal fragments sink, generating an elongated
depression called continental rift valleys.
The oceanic ridge system or the Mid-Ocean Ridge (MOR) refers to the elevated
areas of the seafloor characterized by high heat flow and volcanism. It is the Earth’s longest
mountain range, covering roughly 20% of the planet’s surface.
Included in this system are the East Pacific Rise, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and the
Mid-Indian Ridge.

Source: Quipper Limited (2018). Plate Boundaries. Unit 2. p. 27.

Figure 1. Formation of continental rift, oceanic ridges and ocean
basins along divergent plate boundaries.
 Along transform plate boundaries
or transform faults, plates slide past one
another in a horizontal motion parallel to the
plate boundary separating the two plates.
These boundaries connect the other
plate boundaries, accommodating the
opposite movements of the plates on each
side of the transform.
Transform boundaries are
conservative margins. In these regions, no
production or destruction of crust occurs.
Instead of volcanism, areas near
transform faults experience earthquakes.
Fault zones and fracture zones are formed
in this type of boundary.
Fault zones are areas where rocks
are being broken and weakened by ongoing
fault action. Displacement on the rocks is
discernible.
Fracture zones occur as curvilinear Source: Quipper Limited (2018). Plate Boundaries.
breaks in the seafloor; they are traces of the Unit 2. p. 21.
transform boundary past the ridges and Figure 2. San Andreas Fault in California,
trenches which no longer experience United States
movement.

Subduction is the primary process

operating in convergent boundaries.
When continental and oceanic plates
collide, the thinner and denser oceanic
plate is overridden by the thicker and less
dense continental plate. The oceanic plate
is forced down into the mantle in a process
known as "subduction."
The manifestations of these
subduction zones at the surface are the
trench-arc systems, which are deep and
remarkably long troughs in the ocean floor.
Arcs are long, sublinear chains of
volcanoes following the orientation of
Source: Quipper Limited (2018). Plate ocean trenches.
Boundaries. Unit 2. p. 14.
Figure 3. Subduction along a trench-arc
system

Divergent boundaries are a zone in the Earth’s crust where the plates move away from
each other. It is also known as the spreading center. It is where the continents split apart and
form new continental margins.
Elevated areas in the seafloor form a mountain system called the mid-ocean ridge. These
underwater mountains are linked in chains with valleys known as rift.
Seafloor spreading is the main mechanism operating along divergent margins. The older
oceanic crust is, the farther it is.
It is a continuous process occurring in mid-oceanic ridges in which both sides of the ridge
move apart, causing the spreading of
the sea floors.
As new seafloor moves away from
both sides of the ridge, more melts arise
from the asthenosphere. The older the
rock, the farther it is from the oceanic
ridge.
A Continental rift is the belt or zone
of the continental lithosphere where the
extensional deformation (rifting) is
occurring. These zones have important
consequences and geological features,
and if the rifting is successful, lead to the
formation of new ocean basins.
Source: Quipper Limited (2018). Plate Boundaries.
Unit 2. p. 14.
Figure 4. Subduction along a trench-arc
system

Transform plate boundaries which are

characterized by horizontal motion along
transform fault systems parallel to the boundary
separating two plates form fault systems around
the world.
Transform faults are part of curvilinear
breaks in the seafloor known as fracture zones.
Earthquake activity is restricted only to
the transform portion of fracture zones that
lies between offset ridge segments or
trenches. Source: Quipper Limited (2018). Plate
Boundaries. Unit 2. p. 29.
Figure 5. Transform boundaries along
mid-oceanic ridges forming a step-like
pattern
Let’s Apply

DIRECTIONS: Read the question carefully. Write TRUE if the statement is correct, otherwise,
write FALSE. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.
_____ 1. Subduction is a major process in divergent boundaries.
_____ 2. There are different volcanic activities that are happening along transform
boundaries.
_____ 3. One of the evidences along divergent boundaries is the mid-oceanic ridge.
_____ 4. In subduction, the continental crust is overridden by the oceanic crust.
_____ 5. Divergent boundaries are a zone in the Earth’s crust where the plates move
away from each other.
 Let’s Analyze

DIRECTIONS: Read the question carefully. Answer the question in 2-3 sentences. Write your
answers on a separate sheet of paper.
1. Why do areas near transform faults experience earthquakes instead of volcanism?

2. What places in the Philippines are relatively safe and earthquake free? Explain
why these places are earthquake free.

Let’s Try

DIRECTIONS: Read each question carefully. Choose the letter of your answer. Write your
answer on a separate sheet of paper.

_____ 1. When scientists conducted a study at mid-oceanic ridges, they found out that the
oldest rock is in which of the following?
A. In the middle
B. Found close to the mid-oceanic ridges
C. Found far from the mid-oceanic ridges
D. Cannot be determined due to lack of information

_____ 2. What is the type of boundary where two plates are moving away from each other?
A. Convergent Boundary C. Tectonic Boundary
B. Divergent Boundary D. Transform Boundary

_____ 3. Which refers to the elevated areas of the sea floor characterized by high heat flow
and volcanism?
A. Continental Rift C. Oceanic Ridge
B. Mountain Range D. Trench

_____ 4. Which of the following plate boundaries slide past one another in horizontal motion?
A. Convergent Boundary C. Tectonic Boundary
B. Divergent Boundary D. Transform Boundary

_____ 5. What is the primary process operating in convergent boundaries where oceanic crust
goes under the continental crust.
A. Subduction C. Tectonic Boundary
B. Sea floor spreading D. Transform Boundary

_____ 6. What are long, sublinear chains of volcanoes following the orientation of ocean
trenches.
A. Arc C. Mountain
B. Fault D. Sea floor

_____ 7. What boundary is also known as conservative margin?

A. Convergent Boundary C. Tectonic Boundary
B. Divergent Boundary D. Transform Boundary

_____ 8. What is commonly formed along transform boundaries?

A. Fault C. Trench
B. Mountain Range D. Oceanic Ridge
_____ 9. What is also known as conservative margin.
A. Convergent Boundary C. Tectonic Boundary
B. Divergent Boundary D. Transform Boundary

_____ 10. Which of the following is NOT an evidence of divergent boundary?

A. Continental Rift C. Oceanic Ridge
B. Fault D. Sea Floor Spreading

Let’s Create

Goal
Your goal is to let different local government units (LGUs) and other private
sectors understand the impact of plate boundaries in the country.

Role
You are part of the research team of the National Disaster Risk Reduction
Management Council (NDRRMC).

Audience
Your audience will be the different LGUs and other private sectors who are
involved in the safety and security of the different areas.

Situation
Nowadays, different natural disasters are happening in the Philippines.
Recently, Taal volcano showed signs of volcanic eruption. Likewise, Kanlaon and
Mayon volcano are showing signs of eruptions. Then, the country is also experiencing
different seismic activities.

The secretary of the National Defense tasks the National Disaster Risk
Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) to create a brochure to inform and to raise
awareness of the different local government unit and private sectors about the
processes and impact of the different plate boundaries. You are part of the research
team in the NDRRMC and you are tasked to create a brochure about the different plate
boundaries.

Product Performance
You need to create a brochure that will inform and raise awareness of the
different LGUs and private sectors about the processes and impacts of different plate
boundaries.
 Standards
Your output will be graded according to the following:

CRITERIA 5 4 3 2 1
Use of facts Use of facts Use of facts Use of facts Use of facts
and the and quantity and quantity and quantity and quantity
quantity of of of of of
Content information information information information information
is is very good. is good but is present is limited.
exceptional. not but limited.
consistent.
The The The The The
brochure brochure brochure brochure brochure
has has has some has limited has no
Attractiveness exceptionall attractive formatting formatting formatting
and y attractive and well- and and and
Organization formatting organized organized organization organization
and well- information information of of
organized information. information.
information.
Graphics go Graphics go Graphics go Graphics do Graphics do
well with the well with the well with the not go with not present
text and text, but text, but the text or in the
Graphics/ there is a there are so there are appear to be brochure.
Pictures good mix of many that few and randomly
text and they distract brochure chosen.
graphics the text. seems to be
“text-heavy”